


Again and Again

by tangledupin_blue



Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 04:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13310193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tangledupin_blue/pseuds/tangledupin_blue
Summary: Despite off field incident after incident Mark continues to stick by Ben… again and again





	Again and Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kutubiyya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kutubiyya/gifts).



> The prompt I got was "Mark Wood/Ben Stokes - something angsty, obvs" so I hope this meets that criteria....
> 
> Also this marks not only my return to cric fic after nearly a year but my first attempt at writing non-Aussies.

Mark knew it was bad, really bad. The headlines told him that very plainly. Although he still wasn’t quite prepared for just how bad the incident was until the footage of the brawl surfaced in the media. Along with words like “ _15 punches in a minute”_ and “ _left the victim with a broken eye-socket”._

Mark was just struggling to comprehend how this had happened. He’s known Ben has had issues with alcohol in the past, they’ve spoken about those issues repeatedly. Then things like this latest brawl happen… again and again.

Each time Mark tells himself this is the last time he will stand by Ben’s side but then Ben says sorry and that it won’t happen ever again and for some reason Mark believes him… again and again.

He’s spoken to a few people about what to do: stand by him or leave but each time anyone suggests maybe he’d be better without Ben, he finds it too hard to picture. So, despite incident after incident he continues to stick by Ben… again and again.

 

But this time Mark is having a much harder time convincing himself he should continue to stick by Ben. He has been dodging his calls all week. He has no idea how to approach it, he wants to scream and shout at Ben, but he knew that wouldn’t work because it hasn’t before.

He, like so many others, have tried asking Ben to be more careful with his alcohol intake but clearly the message refuses to sink in. Mark had made his own choice about being tee-total at about 16 deciding he was more than enough without alcohol, but he would never begrudge anyone else their choice. He wasn’t going to preach at anyone for drinking. But at what point does it get to be too much? Mark thinks that they might have finally reached that point. He is finding it increasingly hard to justify standing by Ben.

Mark in an attempt to comprehend just how much of overkill 15 punches in a minute was had spent the morning a few days after the footage emerged becoming well acquainted with a punching bag. All it achieved was exhaustion for Mark and some sore arms a day or so later.

 

Two weeks or so after it all happened Mark finally had the courage to press send on a message that he had sitting waiting to be sent for at least a week.

_How are you?_

Moments later, the phone rings in Mark’s hand, Ben’s name and face on the screen, his personalised ringtone filling the silence. Mark waits, and waits until the phone goes dark in his hand. He presses the button and the screen springs to life again and his message sits there.

_How are you?_

And then moments later his phone pings with a voicemail alert followed by a text alert.

_Call me when you can._

Mark glances at the message as it drops down from the top of his screen, leaves it unread silences his phone then tosses it down the other end of the sofa.

Mark ignores the voicemail and leave the message on unread for the next week and then he leaves it without reply.  


  
A couple of days later, Mark is on his way down to Loughborough to join up with the England Lions squad before their departure to Australia. He spends his week training hard and doing everything in his power to not think about Ben. Someone mentions Ben, Mark suddenly must be somewhere else. Someone asks how Ben is, Mark shrugs his shoulders then walks away.

Then it is departure day and while he is sitting in the lounge waiting to board his phone is ringing again. Ben’s name and face, his personalised ringtone telling him it was exactly who he thought it might be. Once again, he ignores it, along with the subsequent ding alerting him to another voicemail.

After he has settled into his seat and just before he turns on airplane mode on his phone a text comes through.

_Good luck in Aus. I know I’ve said it again and again, but this really will be the last time, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, again._

Mark just sighs deeply to himself as he reads the message. He was still so confused how to deal with the whole incident, some may call him a coward for essentially ignoring Ben for the last three weeks. But it felt like the only way to make sure things didn’t go to shit. Mark wasn’t much of a hot head but if you got him angry enough, he could explode, and he was still mad at Ben so this felt like the best way to deal with it for now. So, he left the message unanswered once again.

 

Somebody, he couldn’t remember who, told him Ben was spotted at Heathrow, but heading for New Zealand instead of Australia. Mark decided this was a perfect chance to call Ben but not have to actually speak to him. So, he picked up his phone and hit the call button and as he had hoped it went to voicemail but then Mark was suddenly struck dumb. He had no idea what to say, so he hung up. He took couple of deep breaths, thought about what he was going to say and then hit the call button again, this time he spoke.

“Uhm, hey Ben. It’s Mark. Somebody told me you’re on your way to see the family in New Zealand. I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you before now… I just wasn’t sure what to say. To be honest I’m still not sure what to say, apart from I guess I’m ready to talk to you? Ah, call me sometime.”

 

The following day the Lions squad flew from Brisbane to Perth and when Mark was able to turn on his phone again there was 1 missed call but no voicemail this time but despite the unknown number he knew it would be Ben.

 

A couple of days later, after about 30 minutes of pacing up and down in his hotel room he sits on the edge of the bed and picks up his phone from the bedside table. He tosses his phone gently from hand to hand while he thinks about what he plans to say if Ben does answer his call.

Mark takes one more deep breath before pressing the call button.

It rings and rings and just before voicemail kicks in the call is picked up and there’s a wary sounding voice asking, “Mark?”

“Mark, is that you…?”

Again and again.

**Author's Note:**

> Massive thanks to Hannah for organising the fic exchange. And also for helping me work out what the hell I was going to write (and the title). I’d be lost without you chicka! <3


End file.
